Just Because: Email provides interesting information

Thu, 06/12/2008 - 12:39pmadmin

By: Carissa Hebert

The Gazette receives updates from the state on legislative actions, many which are becoming law. I thought many were very interesting and decided to share them with the reader. The numbers and the authors are listed first.

If you want to learn more about them, visit http://www.legis.state.la.us and visit one of the links listed there. Once you get to the site to view the laws, you can choose to look at the text, either current or all versions, notes, digest, history, authors, amendments, votes or all. This site is a great way to follow the legislature as it works through the session.

Here are some of the new laws:

• SB 321 - Hebert

This bill authorizes DEQ to accept credit cards for payment of obligations owed to the state through use of a third-party processor to collect a convenience fee to adequately cover transaction fees.

•HB 28 - Richmond

This bill prohibits a court from releasing someone charged with a crime of violence on their own recognizance or on the signature of another person.

• HB 126 - Baldone and Wooton

This bill allows a victim to request that the Department of Corrections send them a current photograph of their offender three months before the offender is released.

• HB 227 - Robideaux and Senator Cassidy

This bill allows the continuation of survivor benefits upon remarriage of a surviving spouse of a disability retiree.

•HB 839 - Hutter

This bill prohibits owners/operators of vehicles from placing window tint on an entire front windshield of a vehicle.

We also had some other interesting emails which included a visit to Iraq by Maj. Gens. Bennett C. Landreneau and William D. Wofford. Landreneau and Wofford are the Adjutant Generals of the Louisiana National Guard and Arkansas National Guard, respectively.

According to the press release, Landreneau, along with the Louisiana National Guard’s senior enlisted advisor, Command Sgt. Maj. John Kling, were briefed by members of the 165th CSSB command and staff on the current status and capabilities of the 165th during their visit.

An email from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries noted the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission decided to fund both Delta Waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited (DU) in their efforts to help supply Louisiana with more migratory birds from the north at their June 5, meeting. “The commission voted to evenly split the statutorily dedicated funds among the two organizations. The funds being awarded to Delta Waterfowl and DU are generated from Louisiana hunting license sales. Based on last year’s funding levels, each group is projected to receive approximately $150,000 per year for two years.”

The state’s labor department noted the state’s unemployment rate was not affected by the national picture. The release stated, “The news from the federal government about the sharp increase in the national unemployment rate in May is disheartening, according to Louisiana Labor Secretary Tim Barfield. Statewide information for May isn’t available yet, but April figures show Louisiana’s unemployment rate has been spared from the effects of the national economic downturn.”

The story also stated, “Louisiana’s unemployment rate in April was 4.1 percent, well below the national rate for April of 5.0 percent and even further below the national rate for May of 5.5 percent. Louisiana data also shows the number of unemployed dropped by about 9,200 in April to 82,116, and that the number of nonfarm jobs increased in April by 600 to 1,940,900.”

I thought it would be interesting to share some of this information with our readers.

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